Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Gauke and Andrew Jones

Tuesday 27th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gauke]

The reality is that the tax gap for 2012-13 was lower than in any year under the previous Labour Government. As for the yield—the money that is brought in by HMRC as a consequence of its activity—that has gone up by £9 billion since 2010-11, and is forecast to be £26 billion this year. That is a very good record.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

Will the Minister confirm that the compliance tax yield for this year has been revised up to £26 billion, which is an increase of £9 billion since this Government came to office?

[Mr Gauke]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to make that point, and there has been an increase—[Interruption.] It is a point that bears repeating. Members really should take in the fact that, under this Government, we have seen a significant increase in HMRC’s yield. HMRC is more effective than ever in dealing with tax evasion and tax avoidance.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Gauke and Andrew Jones

Tuesday 24th January 2012 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

T3. I warmly welcome the work being done by the Office of Tax Simplification, but does the Exchequer Secretary agree that we can do more to boost tax transparency, for example by providing all taxpayers with an annual statement on how their hard-earned tax pounds are spent?

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Mr David Gauke)]

My hon. Friend raises an interesting point. In November, the Government and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs published a consultation paper on exactly those lines, and I very much look forward to the ten-minute rule Bill that my hon. Friend the Member for Ipswich (Ben Gummer) will introduce tomorrow, which makes that proposal. We should all agree that we should do everything that we can to make tax and spending as transparent to the public as possible.